In recent research
published in the journal Cell, scientists
pinpointed the part of the mosquito that makes them attracted to humans. Originally,
these scientists from the University of California, Riverside knew that female
mosquitoes are initially attracted to the exhale of CO2 by humans,
but that once they get near enough to the humans, these mosquitoes change their
path and travel to an area of the body exposed by skin. However, the scientists
conducting this research experiment, namely Anandasankar Ray, wanted to
understand why mosquitoes change their path and how they detect certain skin
odors. The researchers hoped that they would be able to block these odor
sensors in mosquitoes or reduce the attractiveness of human odor, effectively
diminishing the presence of mosquito bites on humans. The scientists discovered
that the receptor neurons in the maxillary palp of the mosquito, known as cpA,
are responsible for mosquito attraction to both CO2 and skin odors,
including smelly socks, worn clothes, and bedding. This was a significant and
new finding because, previously, scientists had been focusing on the complex
mosquito antennae rather than the simple maxillary palp organs. The fact that
cpA is a receptor for both CO2 and skin odors is additionally ground-breaking
because it offers understanding of this insect’s human attraction and
preference, along with identifying this receptor as a target to be used to
disrupt mosquito attraction behavior. The UC Riverside researchers then
proceeded to chemically disrupt the activity of the cpA in the Aedes aegypti mosquito, and found that
the mosquito’s attraction to foot odor in an experimental wind tunnel was
significantly reduced, supporting the findings of the researchers. Next, the
research team began testing chemical compounds that were a desirable scent to
humans, such as mint and raspberry, safe, and inexpensive, as they would be
used to either inhibit or further activate the cpA receptors in mosquitoes. They
decided that ethyl pyruvate, a fruity-scented compound already approved as a
flavor agent in food, could be used to reduce a mosquito’s attraction to human
skin by inhibiting the cpA. Conversely, cyclopentanone, a minty-smelling
fragrance agent, could be used to activate the cpA receptor and lure mosquitoes
into a specific area away from humans.

The isolation of
the skin and CO2 receptors in the maxillary palp and the discovery
of two compounds that could both inhibit and activate cpA will have positive
effects on many areas of the world. Female mosquitoes have the capability of
transmitting deadly diseases, such as malaria, dengue fever, the West Nile
virus, and filariasis to human populations, especially in South America, the
Caribbean, Asia, and Africa. Compounds that block the cpA, such as ethyl
pyruvate, will mask humans from mosquitoes and the harmful diseases they carry,
and can be applied safely to human skin. On the other hand, compounds like
cyclopentanone, which activates cpA, can be used to lure mosquitoes into traps
and protect larger areas and a greater number of people at a time. This
research was especially significant for people living in poorer countries
because it offers more affordable solutions, in the form of compounds, rather
than the former expensive solution of burning fuel to generate CO2
as a mosquito trap.

This article was
able to concisely express the large significance that the discovery of the cpA
receptor as a receptor for both CO2 and human skin odor will have on
the human population, specifically for those living in continents where
mosquitoes transmit deadly diseases. As a reader, this article, although it
contained many scientific terms, was very easy to follow with the way that it
went into thorough explanation on why the location of the dual CO2
and skin receptor will have large effects on future preventative action against
mosquitoes. This article was also enjoyable to read because it included both
the discovery of the cpA receptor, along with the two chemical compounds that
were chosen as a result of this discovery to combat mosquitoes. Finally, this
article was engaging because it addressed a very relatable issue, the presence
of mosquitoes and the diseases they carry, which affects the global human
population. If there was one thing to critique about this article, it would
probably be the lack of explanation on how the researchers discovered that the
cpA receptor was a dual-receptor for CO2 and skin odor, and how they
located it within the maxillary palp. Other than that, the article succeeded in
presenting a biological discovery that will potentially improve the lives of over
500 million people in an easily understood manner.

3 comments:

You did a very good job of summarizing the article, especially since the whole science behind the topic is very difficult to understand. From the summary I learned that mosquitos have a certain receptor (cpA) that determines its attraction to certain human features. This was very interesting because as you mentioned, by scientists discovering this, they can now narrow their work on just the repellants that specifically target the receptor. You also made really good connections on how this discovery affects the world as a whole, and also furthered this point by saying what discovery helped what disease. The report was very well written and although the article may not have provided enough information, one suggestion would be to expand on the summary since the topic was very technical.

The way you summarized your article was clear and made the report easy to read. I never knew that mosquitoes had cpA receptors and that is how they were attracted to a certain human or not. Like you said, this could be very helpful for developing new repellents to less and less people get bitten. Overall, you did a great job summarizing and explaining the importance of this article (which is very complex). But you could've put some more definitions of vocab words in your explanation. Overall you did a really amazing job!

Great current event! I know that both Emma and Ansley said the same but it truly was! not only did you summarize incredibly well but you also chose a very interesting topic to begin with! Another thing you did that I really liked was your reasoning to why it was important to society. That part of the current event usually stumps people, including myself, but you answered very well and appropriately! One thing I learned from your article, out of the many things that I did learn was that mosquitos are attracted to the CO2 we exhale. I've always wondered why mosquitos are so annoying to us in hot and tropical weathers and I'm really happy to finally have an answer! Something I found interesting was that minty smells and fruity scents help you not have as much trouble with mosquitos. It's a good thing that they're really nice smells and not the awful smell in Off which is what I would usually use. One suggestion on how you could make your current event report even better (even though it's already awesome) is to elaborate a little more on the maxillary pal organs and all of that because I was a little confused as to what part of the mosquito that was. Other than that, really fun article to read! Great job!